Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 18, 2026

HOX Loci Focused CRISPR/sgRNA Library Screening Identifying Critical CTCF Boundaries
10:10

HOX Loci Focused CRISPR/sgRNA Library Screening Identifying Critical CTCF Boundaries

Published on: March 31, 2019

8.8K

Changes in transcription pattern lead to a marked decrease in COX, CS and SQR activity after the developmental point

H Kolarova1, J Krizova, M Hulkova

  • 1Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic. marketa.tesarova@lf1.cuni.cz.

Physiological Research
|November 16, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Fetal liver and muscle tissue show decreasing oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) enzyme activity after 22 weeks gestation, despite rising mitochondrial DNA transcription. This may impact infant survival.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cellular Respiration

Background:

  • Fetal development involves complex cellular changes, including shifts in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS).
  • Previous data indicated increased COX4 and MTATP6 liver transcription after 22 weeks gestational age (GW).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional impact of observed changes in OXPHOS gene expression during fetal development.
  • To analyze specific OXPHOS enzyme activities and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content in fetal liver and skeletal muscle.

Main Methods:

  • Spectrophotometry and RT-PCR were used to measure COX, CS, SQR activities, and mtDNA content.
  • Liver and skeletal muscle samples from 13-29 GW were analyzed.
  • Liver hematopoiesis (LH) was assessed via light microscopy.

Main Results:

  • mtDNA content correlated with gestational age in the liver only.
  • COX, CS, and SQR activities significantly decreased in both liver and muscle mitochondria after 22 GW.
  • Liver hematopoiesis declined from 14-24 GW, independent of OXPHOS activity.

Conclusions:

  • Decreasing OXPHOS activity alongside increasing mtDNA transcription appears crucial for neonatal adaptation.
  • Impaired mitochondrial energy production capacity may contribute to mortality in infants born before 22 GW.

More Related Videos

Mouse In Vivo Placental Targeted CRISPR Manipulation07:39

Mouse In Vivo Placental Targeted CRISPR Manipulation

Published on: April 14, 2023

3.7K
An Optimized Protocol for Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay Using Infrared Fluorescent Dye-labeled Oligonucleotides09:58

An Optimized Protocol for Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay Using Infrared Fluorescent Dye-labeled Oligonucleotides

Published on: November 29, 2016

16.9K

Related Concept Videos

Co-activators and Co-repressors02:04

Co-activators and Co-repressors

Gene transcription is regulated by the synergistic action of several proteins that form a complex at a gene regulatory site. This is observed in eukaryotes, where the regulation of gene expression is a complex process. Regulatory proteins in eukaryotes can broadly be classified into two types – regulators that bind directly to specific DNA sequences and co-regulators that associate with regulatory proteins but cannot directly bind to the DNA. These co-regulators are further divided into...
8.7K
Cis-regulatory Sequences02:02

Cis-regulatory Sequences

Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...
12.0K
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance02:30

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
37.4K
Combinatorial Gene Control02:33

Combinatorial Gene Control

Combinatorial gene control is the synergistic action of several transcriptional factors to regulate the expression of a single gene. The absence of one or more of these factors may lead to a significant difference in the level of gene expression or repression.
The expression of more than 30,000 genes is controlled by approximately 2000-3000 transcription factors. This is possible because a single transcription factor can recognize more than one regulatory sequence. The specificity in gene...
9.7K
TGF - β Signaling Pathway01:16

TGF - β Signaling Pathway

The TGF-β signaling pathway regulates cell growth, differentiation, adhesion, motility, and development. TGF-β ligands that induce TGF-β signaling are synthesized in their latent form. Several proteases or cell surface receptors such as integrins act upon the latent form, releasing the active ligand. There are three types of mammalian TGF-βs: (TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3) that bind as homodimers or heterodimers to TGF-β receptors. The TGF-β receptors...
10.6K
RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins02:36

RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins

Proteins that regulate transcription can do so either via direct contact with RNA Polymerase or through indirect interactions facilitated by adaptors, mediators, histone-modifying proteins, and nucleosome remodelers. Direct interactions to activate transcription is seen in bacteria as well as in some eukaryotic genes. In these cases, upstream activation sequences are adjacent to the promoters, and the activator proteins interact directly with the transcriptional machinery. For example, in...
11.1K